Ethnotaxonomy and phenotypic evidence for a zone of high common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) diversity in northeastern Amazonian Peru
Abstract
The common bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a key crop in the Americas, yet its diversity in the Peruvian Amazon Basin remains poorly documented. We examined geographic and ethnographic patterns in vernacular naming and phenotypic diversity of common beans across three biomes: the inter-Andean Marañón Valley, the Highland Rainforest, and the Amazonian lowlands. Using lexical sources, ethnobotanical interviews, and phenotypic evaluation of seeds, we recorded 152 specific vernacular names and 20 generic terms for P. vulgaris across 26 ethnic groups. Naming categories relied primarily on morphological criteria, complemented by references to origin, growth habit, culinary properties, and historical events. Vernacular name richness and phenotypic diversity exhibited a congruent geographic concentration, with the highest values recorded in the Highland Rainforest biome. These results suggest a geographically continuous zone of high common bean diversity in the northeastern Peruvian Amazon, spanning the inter-Andean Marañón Valley, the Highland Rainforest, and adjacent Amazonian regions. While the observed congruence between vernacular and phenotypic diversity is consistent with historical diversification processes, the present evidence does not establish a historical diversification axis. Linguistic and ethnobotanical evidence thus provide a useful framework for documenting and conserving common bean diversity in this bioculturally dynamic region.
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BibTeX
@article{veccogiove2026ethnotaxonomy,
title = {{Ethnotaxonomy and phenotypic evidence for a zone of high common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) diversity in northeastern Amazonian Peru}},
author = {Carlos D. Vecco-Giove and Marvin Barrera-Lozano and Emerson Tuesta-Chichipe and Jorge L. Peláez Rivera and Mack Pinchi and Rodomiro Ortiz and Jorge Tobaru and Raúl Blas},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-76802-4},
url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-76802-4},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Ethnotaxonomy and phenotypic evidence for a zone of high common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) diversity in northeastern Amazonian Peru
AU - Carlos D. Vecco-Giove
AU - Marvin Barrera-Lozano
AU - Emerson Tuesta-Chichipe
AU - Jorge L. Peláez Rivera
AU - Mack Pinchi
AU - Rodomiro Ortiz
AU - Jorge Tobaru
AU - Raúl Blas
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/17
JO - Scientific Reports
DO - 10.1038/s41598-026-76802-4
UR - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-76802-4
AB - The common bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a key crop in the Americas, yet its diversity in the Peruvian Amazon Basin remains poorly documented. We examined geographic and ethnographic patterns in vernacular naming and phenotypic diversity of common beans across three biomes: the inter-Andean Marañón Valley, the Highland Rainforest, and the Amazonian lowlands. Using lexical sources, ethnobotanical interviews, and phenotypic evaluation of seeds, we recorded 152 specific vernacular names and 20 generic terms for P. vulgaris across 26 ethnic groups. Naming categories relied primarily on morphological criteria, complemented by references to origin, growth habit, culinary properties, and historical events. Vernacular name richness and phenotypic diversity exhibited a congruent geographic concentration, with the highest values recorded in the Highland Rainforest biome. These results suggest a geographically continuous zone of high common bean diversity in the northeastern Peruvian Amazon, spanning the inter-Andean Marañón Valley, the Highland Rainforest, and adjacent Amazonian regions. While the observed congruence between vernacular and phenotypic diversity is consistent with historical diversification processes, the present evidence does not establish a historical diversification axis. Linguistic and ethnobotanical evidence thus provide a useful framework for documenting and conserving common bean diversity in this bioculturally dynamic region.
SN - 2045-2322
ER -